Amherst Selected to NCAA Tournament for First Time Ever

AMHERST, MA – Amherst College will be making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship courtesy of an at-large selection, as the Lord Jeffs will host Keene State College this Wednesday in the tournament’s opening round.

Wednesday's game is set to begin at 5 p.m. Tickets will be $5 for adults and $3 for students and will go on sale at Gooding Field 90 minutes prior to the start of the game. Amherst College students with a valid ID will be admitted free of charge.

Fans unable to attend the game will be able to follow all of the action courtesy of JeffCast.

Defending national champion Tufts University earned the NESCAC’s automatic bid after winning its second conference title in as many years, but Amherst and Middlebury joined the 26-team championship field thanks to stellar résumés. The winner of Wednesday’s Amherst-Keene State game will take on either Middlebury or Castleton State on Saturday, May 14.

Ranked 10th in the most recent USILA Division III Coaches Poll, Amherst (13-2) has already set a program record for wins in a season. The Lord Jeffs opened their season with a 13-9 loss to Tufts but rattled off 13 consecutive victories, climbing from unranked to the top 10 along the way. Amherst’s run came to a halt in the NESCAC quarterfinals, as Bowdoin used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away for a 14-9 win.

On Wednesday the Jeffs will look to get back on track against Keene State (14-2), which will carry an 11-game win streak into the NCAA Tournament. The Owls will be making their fourth appearance in the tournament after winning their second consecutive Little East title and fourth overall. Keene is 2-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, advancing to the second round in 2007 and 2010.